Washington, 2000

High Wind in Washington, January 9, 2000

January 9, 2000 · NWS OTX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

With a strong jet stream overhead and a tight westerly pressure gradient near the surface, strong and damaging winds of 40 to 60 kts developed across much of eastern Washington, especially from the lee of the North Cascades east across the Basin toward the Spokane area. There were numerous reports of downed trees and power lines, leading to power outages.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OTX wrote it up.

With a strong jet stream overhead and a tight westerly pressure gradient near the surface, strong and damaging winds of 40 to 60 kts developed across much of eastern Washington, especially from the lee of the North Cascades east across the Basin toward the Spokane area. There were numerous reports of downed trees and power lines, leading to power outages.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Lower Garfield & Asotin

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Lower Garfield & Asotin forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.312, -117.374 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washington Palouse

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Washington Palouse forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.261, -117.463 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Moses Lake Area

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Moses Lake Area forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Upper Columbia Basin

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Upper Columbia Basin forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.610, -119.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Spokane Area

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Spokane Area forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wenatchee Area

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Wenatchee Area forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates
47.802, -120.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Waterville Plateau

When
January 9, 8:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Waterville Plateau forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.471, -119.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2000

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5130102, 5130103, 5130104, 5130105, 5130106, 5130107, 5130108.